KPMG launches Decisions at the Speed of Change
The new film blends cinematic storytelling and real-world leadership insights through a conversation between Academy Award-winning filmmaker and climber Jimmy Chin and KPMG’s Atif Zaim.
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Production studio Stept was engaged by KPMG to develop Decisions at the Speed of Change, a new short film created around the firm’s partnership with Academy Award winning filmmaker, climber, and longtime Stept collaborator Jimmy Chin.
The film pairs Chin with KPMG U.S. Deputy Chair and Managing Principal Atif Zaim in a candid conversation exploring how leaders navigate uncertainty, pressure, and risk, whether on a mountain face or inside a boardroom.
Developed in close collaboration with KPMG, the project was led creatively by Stept’s Head of Creative & Entertainment Davey Spens, directed by Warner Shaw. Stept's integrated model, spanning creative development, production, and post-production, combined with finishing and sound by Lockt, allowed the team to build a cohesive visual and emotional language across every stage of the process.
Rather than approaching the project as a traditional branded interview piece, Stept designed the film to feel cinematic, immersive, and deeply human. The film balances intimate conversation with the visual language of expedition filmmaking and performance storytelling that has become synonymous with Chin’s work.
Credits
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- Production Company Stept Studios
- Director Warner Shaw
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Credits
View on- Production Company Stept Studios
- Director Warner Shaw
- Head of Creative Davey Spens
- Talent Jimmy Chin
Explore full credits, grab hi-res stills and more on shots Vault
Credits
powered by- Production Company Stept Studios
- Director Warner Shaw
- Head of Creative Davey Spens
- Talent Jimmy Chin
“What excited us creatively was bringing together two masters from very different worlds and discovering how much common language existed between them around preparation, pressure and decision-making,” said Spens. “The challenge became distilling those rich conversations into a short film that felt cinematic, emotionally human and genuinely insightful.”
Throughout the film, Chin and Zaim explore themes including adaptability under pressure, the discipline required to make decisions with incomplete information, and the importance of preparation in moments where timing matters most. The conversation is interwoven with cinematic mountain imagery and environmental footage that reinforce the emotional and psychological stakes behind the discussion, creating a piece that feels equally at home in documentary storytelling and brand narrative filmmaking.
For Stept, the project reflects the studio’s continued focus on developing work that blends entertainment sensibilities with strategic brand storytelling.
The film continues Stept’s growing body of work at the intersection of sports, entertainment, documentary storytelling, and branded content, while further expanding the company’s creative collaborations with globally recognized athletes, filmmakers, and cultural figures.
